The Cook County North Suburban Affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (“NAMI CCNS”) has announced a new Executive Director and a new Program Director to lead the organization in its mission to assist individuals and families coping with mental illness.
Jeffrey Rabin was appointed as Executive Director of NAMI CCNS on December 5, 2022. Since 1988, Mr. Rabin has been the principal attorney of Jeffrey A. Rabin & Associates, Ltd., a Park Ridge IL law firm that focuses on the representation of individuals who are disabled and seeking benefits from the Social Security Administration. A noted speaker on disability law, Mr. Rabin has previously served as President of the Board of Directors of NAMI DuPage, and as Chairperson of the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County. Mr. Rabin will continue his law firm duties while guiding NAMI CCNS.
“There are too many families in the Chicago North Suburbs trying to cope with a family member facing mental illness issues without any help or guidance,” Mr. Rabin explained. “At NAMI CCNS we have the programs, the staff and the passion for reaching out to these families and providing education, counseling and support. All our programs are free to anyone who needs this help. I look forward to guiding and expanding NAMI CCNS’s impact in our community.”
Brianna Hoekstra has been appointed as Program Director for NAMI CCNS and will work alongside the new Executive Director and their team to support and expand the wide array of programs NAMI offers to area families. Mrs. Hoekstra explained, “Not only does NAMI offer support for adults with mental illness, but we are expanding our programming to include more grammar schools, high school and even university students who are coping with mental illness issues.” Mrs. Hoekstra joined NAMI in August 2022 to help expand programming to grammar schools. She has a Masters Degree in Education from DePaul University and worked for 5 years as a special education instructor for the Chicago Public Schools.
NAMI’s mission is to provide advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives. NAMI CCNS has provided services to families in Cook County’s northern suburbs and beyond since 1990.
